Two engineers who served on board Top Ship’s cargo vessel Ocean Hope were sentenced Thursday to prison for their role in obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard inspection in July 2015 on board the ship in North Carolina’s Port of Wilmington. The sentences were handed down to Cassius Samson and Rustico Ignacio by U.S. District Judge Malcolm Howard of the Eastern District of North Carolina. In addition to the 12 months in jail, Samson most serve a year of supervised release. ...

The United States exported more beef and pork in terms of both volumes and value in October from a year prior, while lamb exports were on the decline, according to data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports refer to beef and beef variety meat; pork exports refer to pork and pork variety meat; and lamb exports refer to lamb, mutton and lamb variety meat. In October, the U.S. exporte...

The leadership of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) has sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump praising his recognition of the need for infrastructure investment and making suggestions on how to enhance the economic competitiveness of the U.S. multimodal freight network. The letter was signed by CAGTC President Leslie Blakely, Group Chairman Tim Lovain, and two board members - Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority Director of Governme...

Through the first nine months of 2016, net U.S. trade fell $470 billion, according to the Census Department. Although GDP growth might not be as robust as many would like it to be, few economists would argue it is in negative territory. The last time U.S. trade declined while its economy grew? World War II. Companies can exert very little control over the macro conditions that either drive or impede trade. One sensible response to a low-growth environment is for companies to tak...

Sen. Ron Johnson Source: Kate Patterson for the EU Delegation to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R.-Wis., chairman of the committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said Thursday the United States benefits from liberalized trade rules, a stance starkly at odds with that of President-elect Donald Trump. Johnson is the latest lawmaker to suggest there could be pushback on Capitol Hill by fellow Republicans to some of the most hawkish rhetoric on trade expressed so far by Tru...

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study that shined light on the pros and cons of both contract rates and tariff rates in the rail freight industry. In its report, GAO-17-166 , the GAO analyzed Surface Transportation Board (STB) data from 2005 to 2014, and interviewed the Association of American Railroads, STB officials, representatives of nine shippers that use rail to ship a variety of commodities, and the four largest freight railroads - BN...

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D.-Calif., ranking member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, has introduced H.R. 6455, the “Energizing American Maritime Act,” which seeks to strengthen the U.S. domestic maritime industry. Offered on a bipartisan basis with Rep. John Duncan, R.-Tenn., the bill would require that up to 30 percent of exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil, what he called "strategic energy assets," travel on U.S.-flagged vessels. &n...

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from firms to design, build, operate and maintain all electronic tolling facilities for the state's truck-only tolling program, according to a statement from the department. The truck tolling plan was authorized in February as part of the state’s Rhode Island Bridge Replacement, Reconstruction and Maintenance Fund Act, also known as RhodeWorks. Under the program, only large commercial ...

A coalition representing retailers, manufacturers, truckers, transportation intermediaries and other business groups filed a petition on Wednesday with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) asking it to establish a new policy that prevents terminal operators and ocean carriers from charging unfair fees when uncontrollable incidents, such as storms and strikes, keep cargo from being picked up from ports on time. “Recent events involving port congestion, labor strife, an ocea...

A coalition representing retailers, manufacturers, truckers, transportation intermediaries and other business groups filed a petition on Wednesday with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) asking it to establish a new policy that prevents terminal operators and ocean carriers from charging unfair fees when uncontrollable incidents, such as storms and strikes, keep cargo from being picked up from ports on time. “Recent events involving port congestion, labor strife, an ocea...

Members of the Transportation Committee in Taiwan’s legislature discussed the merits of having Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. merge with the state-owned T aiwan International Port Corp. (TIPC) earlier this week, according to an article posted in the Taipei Times . The committee was scheduled to review a port construction budget during a meeting on Monday, but "lawmakers focused on possible measures to salvage debt-ridden state-run Yang Ming," the newspaper said. Y...

The U.S. Department of Transportation will award $300.3 million in grant funding for transportation research and education, according to a statement from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The funds will be dispersed to 32 university transportation centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs addressing critical transportation challenges in the United States, Foxx said. The awards include up to $72.5 million in funding for the 2016 fiscal year, and ...

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Wednesday released its final rule to establish national minimum training standards for entry-level commercial truck drivers. “The standards established in today’s rule address the knowledge and skills necessary for the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles and also establish minimum qualifications for entities and individuals who provide entry-level driver training,” FMCSA said. &nb...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has received permission from the State Department to add customs attachés at embassies or consulates in nine countries, Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske announced Thursday during his keynote speech at the agency’s annual Trade Symposium. Kerlikowske, who is nearing the end of his term along with the rest of the Obama administration, did not provide further details. Spokeswoman Katrina Skinner said CBP is still finalizing plans wi...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) made progress this past weekend toward creating an agreement liberalizing trade of environmental goods, but sticking points kept negotiations from reaching a conclusion, the global trade body said in a statement. “This is not the usual kind of trade agreement as it is focused on protecting a common global good: the environment,” WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said. “The trading system should be in a position to make a positive and me...

The August 2014 collision of two Union Pacific freight trains in Hoxie, Ark. that claimed the lives of two UP employees and injured two more, was likely the result of worker fatigue, according to a recent report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The incident, which took place at 2:28 a.m. central daylight time on Aug. 17, 2014, involved a southbound UP train that failed to stop at a signal and collided with a northbound train that was traversing the turnout. ...

A national portal to deliver supply chain information could improve port performance and increase American economic competitiveness, according to "supply chain innovation teams" created by the Federal Maritime Commission. FMC Commisioner Rebecca Dye has been leading the FMC initiative since May to engage leaders from commercial sectors of the U.S. international supply chain in discussions to identify commercial solutions to U.S. supply chain operational challenges. &n...

In the grand context of global trade, $800 might not seem like much. But that number has become a new threshold in a world being quickly transformed by the rise of e-commerce. In February, President Barack Obama signed into law the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, and contained in that broader bill was a provision to increase the de minimis level from $200 to $800. Shipments with values under the de minimis level receive simplified and expedited clearan...

States and ports need tools and flexibility to adapt to new trade patterns and accommodate increased freight volumes, according to a new report issued today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). The report, The State of Freight II - Implementing the FAST Act and Beyond , was issued about one year after President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act...

The U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday the nation’s goods and services deficit for October totaled $42.6 billion, a 17.8 percent increase from September, as exports weakened amid higher imports. The U.S. trade deficit for October was higher than analyst expectations, with economists polled by the Wall Street Journal expecting a trade gap of $42.1 billion, while economists surveyed by Reuters projected a $41.8 billion trade gap. During the month, U.S. exports tota...

Rail labor unions are asking the National Mediation Board (NMB) to step in as negotiations with Class I railways has “completely stalled,” according to a statement from the unions. A coordinated bargaining group comprised of six rail labor unions representing 85,000 workers, more than 58 percent of the total workforce, has applied to the NMB for the assignment of a federal mediator to assist with current negotiations with railway employers, the group said. Members o...

Total value of cross-border trade between the United States and its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which include Canada and Mexico, stood at $91.1 billion in September, a 2.3 percent decline from September 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). “The total value of cross-border freight has declined from the same month of the previous year in 20 of the past 21 months beginning in January 2...

House and Senate lawmakers reached an agreement on a huge water infrastructure bill that authorizes improvements for ports, inland waterways and flood protection, and includes emergency aid for addressing lead contamination in Flint, Mich.’s water system. The Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation (WIIN) Act essentially combined the renewal of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that was passed by both chambers earlier this year with authorizing language for...

The business relationships between shippers and shipping lines are under tremendous pressure these days, given the huge structural change going on in the liner carrier industry and dampened trade growth in 2016. With a new presidential administration taking the helm in early 2017, shifting carrier alliances, and the potential for more M&A activity, the spotlight on the United States’ body responsible for regulating the shipping industry has never been brighter. ...

CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske speaking at Trade Symposium Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection To what extent the United States, under a more inward-looking and enforcement-minded Trump administration, pulls back from international partnerships remains to be seen, but when it comes to border management and securing commercial supply chains, collaboration with foreign governments is vital, CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said. In his final big speech before leaving off...

The U.S. Coast Guard said it issued the first U.S. type-approval certificate for a ballast water management system Friday. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Center issued the certificate to the Norwegian manufacturer Optimarin after its application for U.S. type approval was reviewed and determined to meet the requirements of the Coast Guard’s type approval requirements contained in 46 C.F.R. § 162.060. “While this is a significant milestone, it is the first of multiple...

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has appointed Niam Chiang Meng to the position of chairman, effective Dec. 16, 2016. The current deputy chairman of MPA, Niam succeeds Lucien Wong, who is stepping down from his post to assume the office of deputy attorney-general of the Republic of Singapore. Niam has served as deputy chairman of MPA since July of 2016, following his retirement from the country’s Administrative Service after 33 years in various roles in the pub...

Maersk Line’s plan to acquire Hamburg Süd in 2017 caps a landmark year for consolidation in the container shipping industry, noted Mario Cordero, the chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). Next year, most of the container shipping industry will be controlled by 12 carriers operating in three alliances. These vessel sharing agreements include the already existing 2M Alliance consisting of Maersk Line and MSC (with conflicting press accounts in recent days ab...

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will establish a national clearinghouse for the drug and alcohol testing of commercial truck and bus drivers, the administration said in a statement. Under a final rule announced today , FMCSA will build a national database to serve as a central repository of records of violations of the administration’s drug and alcohol testing of commercial drivers license holders. The national drug and...

United States transportation and logistics companies added 8,900 jobs for the month in November 2016, according to the latest preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The increase in U.S. transportation sector hiring follows a revised increase of 12,200 jobs in October, which came on the heels of a 3,200-job decline in September. Revised BLS data indicates the industry added 18,600 and 12,200 positions in August and July, respectivel...

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R.-Pa. has been selected to continue serving as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, the committee said Friday. “Working across the aisle, we have worked hard to improve our infrastructure through legislation like the FAST Act for our Nation’s roads, bridges, and rail systems, multiple water resources bills to improve our ports and waterways, important authorizations of the U.S. Coast Guard, pipeline safety legislation, bills to impro...

Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle said "THE Alliance" has created safeguards in case one of its members goes bust. THE Alliance, slated to launch next April, is the vessel sharing agreement that is currently being reviewed by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and consists of ocean carriers "K" Line, MOL and NYK of Japan, which plan on merging their container operations ; Germany's Hapag-Lloyd; and Yang Ming of Taiwan. Speaking at the ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects the nation’s agricultural exports to reach $134 billion in 2017, an increase of $4.3 billion over the current year’s forecast. “Since 2009, the United States has exported more than $1 trillion in agricultural products, far more than any other period in our history, thanks to the productivity and ingenuity of American farmers and ranchers, aided in part by the work of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service to arrange and support trad...

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday it will open the docket for its investigation into the sinking of the TOTE Maritime cargo ship El Faro to the public on Dec. 13, 2016. The docket includes factual information about weather, engineering, survival factors, and data from the El Faro’s “black box,” known as a voyage data recorder (VDR), as well as a detailed transcript of audio from the vessel’s bridge. The El Faro sank Oct. 1, 2015 near the...

Japanese ocean carrier Mitsui O.S.K. Line (MOL) has appointed Mitsuhiro Iwata and Toshitake Daigo as chief country representatives of Brazil and Mexico, respectively. Effective Dec. 1, 2016, Iwata and Daigo will report to Toshiya Konishi, chief executive representative, Americas. They will be responsible for enhancing cross-sectional and inter-regional connections within the MOL Group, as well as developing and offering proposals for comprehensive transport services in response ...

CargoSmart, a provider of ship management software, reviewed the performance at six ports before and after the new verified gross mass (VGM) amendment of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention took effect July 1. The six ports analyzed from March-May 2016 and from July-September 2016 included the ports of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) and Tanjung Pelepas in Asia, Rotterdam and Felixstowe in Europe, and Los Angeles and Savannah in North America. CargoSmart rev...

United States railroads are reporting “uneven progress” in the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC), according to the latest PTC progress report from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The FRA said in its third quarter 2016 report that PTC has been fully implemented on 12 percent of freight railroad tracks and 23 percent of passenger rail lines as of Sept. 30, up from 9 percent and 22 percent, respectively, in the second quarter. The administration...

President-elect Donald Trump has named Elaine Chao to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Trump made his announcement late Tuesday, saying her "extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner. She has an amazing life story and has helped countless Americans in her public service career." Chao said, "The President-elect has outlined a cle...

United States gross domestic product (GDP) - the broadest measure of a nation’s overall economic health - grew 3.2 percent during third quarter 2016, according to the "second" advance estimate from the Department of Commerce, up from up from a preliminary estimate of 2.9 percent issued last month. U.S. GDP grew at a revised 1.4 percent rate in the second quarter and a 0.8 percent rate in the first quarter. GDP is a calculation of the value of the goods and services ...

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said they are planning to update their Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) to reduce greenhouse gases by aggressively deploying zero and near-zero emission trucks and cargo-handling equipment, in addition to strengthening programs that reduce ship emissions. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions, they said, will also help the ports further reduce pollutants such as diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. The ports al...

The United States House of Representatives yesterday unanimously approved the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Act of 2016 (S. 546). The RESPONSE Act, which will provide additional training for first responders, specifically for handling freight train derailments that include hazardous materials such as crude oil, was passed unanimously by the Senate in May , meaning the bill will now be sent to the president for final...

Carrier Corp., a manufacturer of heating and cooling systems for residences, commercial spaces and transportation conveyances, announced Wednesday after talks with President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, that it will reverse plans to move production from its Indianapolis plant to Mexico. Trump castigated the United Technologies subsidiary during the campaign for its decision early this year to close the furnace plant and lay off 1,400 employees, saying it was an example ...

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley Maritime Corp. said its subsidiary, Crowley Logistics Inc., has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), to provide transportation and related services supporting DOD activities in the U.S. and Canada. The Department of Defense Freight Transportation Services (DFTS) contract is one of the biggest logistics contracts awarded by the U.S. Government, Crowley ...

President-elect Donald Trump has named Elaine Chao to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Trump made his announcement late Tuesday, saying her "extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner. She has an amazing life story and has helped countless Americans in her public service career." Chao said, "The President-elect has outlined a cle...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has found one of seven separate Boeing tax incentives identified by the European Union to violate international trade regulations, according to a statement from the global trade body. The specific Washington state tax incentive identified by the WTO relates to the aircraft manufacturer’s newest long-haul jet, the 777X. The incentive qualifies as subsidies since it is contingent on the use of domestic goods over imported ones, and therefore...

A group of 15 national business associations from major world economies, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which work to promote international policy cooperation and advocate for business interests, has reorganized as the Global Business Coalition (GBC). Established in 2012, the GBC was previously known as the B20 Coalition, a forum for business federations from across G20 member states. Members of the GBC develop consensus on policies that foster economic gro...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) said the countries of Dominica and Mongolia have become the latest members to ratify the global trade body’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The latest ratifications bring total TFA membership to 100 out of 160 member nations, leaving just 10 more needed to bring the agreement into force. Concluded at the WTO’s 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of go...

The European Commission has granted conditional approval of the merger between Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd and Dubai-based United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC), the European Union competition watchdog said in a statement. Approval from the EC, which examined the potential tie-up under the EU Merger Regulation, is conditional on the withdrawal of UASC from slot-sharing agreements on the transatlantic trades between North Europe and North America. The combined carrier “would have faced insuf...

Donald Trump’s transition team is in talks with Carrier Corp., a heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions provider, over the company possibly keeping its factory in Indianapolis rather than relocating production to Mexico, as announced earlier this year, according to messages on Twitter from the President-elect and the company. About 1,400 people work at the Carrier plant. The news follows Ford Motor Co.’s decision last week to reverse course on plans t...

Just because you can purchase a product off a store shelf and take it home in your car doesn’t mean it’s safe to ship in a cardboard box by air transport, but that’s just what’s happening all too frequently in today’s online shopping world, air cargo experts warn. The trend toward anything and everything in small quantities finding its way onto an aircraft is understandable with so many online retailers offering next-day and two-day shipping. The problem is that many of these s...

Pilots working for Wilmington, Ohio-based cargo carrier ABX Air, a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), went on strike Tuesday morning. The strike against ABX Air involves about 250 pilots who are refusing to fly scheduled routes, including those for the airline’s major customers, DHL and Amazon, according to the Airline Professionals Association (APA) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1224. Striking pilots are picketing outside ABX ...

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker told a visiting delegation of Chinese officials on Wednesday that they need to do more to open their markets to American goods. The delegation, led by the vice premier responsible for trade and investment policy, was in Washington for the annual meeting of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, which has made progress addressing commercial issues between the two countries. “The U.S. private sector has seen strong ...

The Port of Philadelphia is receiving over $300 million for infrastructure, warehousing and equipment upgrades, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday. Officials at the port anticipate work will begin early next year, thanks to the comprehensive capital investment program. Work on the upgrades will continue through 2020. At the same time, the port has suspended plans to develop a major new marine terminal at Southport in favor of expanding automobile processing at ...

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced a list of “executive actions” he plans to take in the first days after taking office, the majority of which are aimed at boosting economic activity and job creation. In a two-minute video produced by his transition team, Trump said he will notify partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement that the United States intends to withdraw from the free trade agreement, which he called “a potential disaster for our country.”...

A group of 31 truck drivers have filed a complaint against a half dozen container terminals or shipping lines and their employees at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, saying they were denied access to terminals during strikes organized by the Teamsters. In a complaint filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, South District, the truckers claimed the terminals “cooperated and conspired with the Teamsters in order to insure peace with the T...

Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu was re-elected to his second three-year term as president of the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) . Dr. Aliu assumed the office of ICAO council president on Jan. 1, 2014, having previously served as the representative of Nigeria since Jan. 1, 2005. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Muhammad Ali Albakri as regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East (AME), effective Jan. 1, 2017. He...

Representatives from railroad industry groups are urging federal regulators not to push new legislation through in the waning days of President Barack Obama’s administration. Following last week’s election, President-elect Donald Trump now has a partisan majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, meaning that any so-called “midnight” legislation could be reversed once he takes office in January. Edward R. Hamberger, president and chief executive o...

Ford Motor Co. reversed course Thursday evening on plans to move a production line from a plant in Louisville, Ky., to Mexico, but it was unclear what, if any role, pressure from President-elect Donald Trump played in the decision. Ford had previously said it planned to move production of the Lincoln MCK crossover sport-utility vehicle to Mexico when its contract with the United Auto Workers expired in 2019 and that no jobs would be lost because the plant would expand production...

Senate Democrats installed Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., to serve as the ranking party member on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, the key body for passing surface transportation and water infrastructure authorization legislation that is critical for the freight industry. The appointment came as Senate Democrats made their leadership selections on Wednesday. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., was officially voted by the caucus to be Minority Leader. Sen. Dick Durbin, D....